Death Sang Her a Lullaby
by Themockingjaywhowaited
Summary: Valerie Sorian is an ordinary girl with an extraordinary gift. She is a witch, she can cast spells and see things that others can't. But with a past shrouded in mystery one unexpected letter in the post and a ticket to a new life on her doorstep will give her the power to find her past and change her future.
1. Chapter 1

Not many people can remember the first few days of their life, but I can. I remember the blinding green lights that bounced from wall to wall, I remember the quivering hands of a man lifting me from my crib and holding me to his chest. I remember seeing my mother lying on the floor, she was asleep and my father was next to her, they were holding hands. I remember a man with a face like a snake; his skin was pale as ivory and his eyes so full of hate. Those eyes still haunt me to this day. I can remember almost everything, apart from what happened to my mother and father and why I never saw them again.

My name is Valerie Sorian and as of today I am 11 years old. I've never liked birthdays. My adoptive parents try way to hard to make it a happy occasion. Their names are Celia and Mark and they're nice enough but I've never felt like I fit in with them. They are the only parents I have ever truly known. I can't say I love them because I don't think I've ever loved anyone. "Valerie!" Celia's high-pitched voice seeps through the walls of my bedroom. "What?" I shout back, trying to mimic her aggravating tone as best I can "Me and your father want to talk to you!" I feel like shouting back 'he's not my father!' but that will start a battle that I don't feel like fighting today. Quickly I look in the mirror and try to smooth down my big mane of black hair, its no use no matter what I do it always seems to fall back down and cover my face. I result in tying up my hair and throwing on my favorite green jumper and my pair of Mickey Mouse slippers.  
Trudging down the hall is not pleasant when you know you either have trouble or praise waiting for you at the other end. I've lived in this flat all my life and I've never once gotten tired of its simplicity. Yes its small but I've never minded that much. When I finally reach the living room I see Celia and Mark sitting on the sofa examining a letter and exchanging worried glances. I sit in the recliner across from them and wait for whatever punishment they are going to bestow upon me. "Valerie," Mark breathed "Yeah?" I've always had a soft spot for Mark; I mean if he has to put up with Celia for the rest of his life; he needs a bit of love. "What is the meaning…of this" He held a crumpled letter in front of him that looked like it was addressed to me. I take the letter and examine it, the swirled ink writing says:

"HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore (Order of Merlin, First Class, GrandSorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)  
Dear Miss. Sorian, We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31. Yours sincerely, Minerva McGonagall Deputy Headmistress"

I have no idea what any of that means. I assume it's a prank letter from the kids at school but it's far to well done to be a prank, either its legit or the bullies from school have gotten really good at their jobs. "Mark I have no idea what this is." I say with complete sincerity "Liar, tell me the truth!" He says with a hint of aggression I have never heard before "Mark please…" Celia begins before Mark shoots her a poisonous look that shuts her up. "Valerie, how do you know about Hogwarts? Who told you?" "No one Mark, I don't know what it is I swear. Its probably just the kids from school having a laugh." Mark is beginning to edge closer towards me, I notice his hands are shaking and he is sweating more than usual. "Valerie, swear to me that you will never mention this letter again to anyone, you too Celia. Its for both of your own goods." I nod and silently head back to my room. Once I get there I slam the door and bolt it. I feel angry but I'm more confused than anything else. I try to lose myself in a good book but all I can think about is that letter, about Hogwarts. I decide is nothing, but Mark wouldn't get so worked up over something that wasn't really a concern. I go over to my computer and look up 'Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry' no results. Next I look up 'Albus Dumbledore' still no results. I try one more name, 'Minerva McGonagall' and still no results, no results, no results! I slam my hands on the keyboard frustration and curl up into a ball on my bed. After I begin to drift off to sleep there is a sharp knock at my door "Go away, Mark!" "Its Celia." "I don't care go away!" "Valerie for gods sake! Please open this door!" I roll off my bed and unbolt the door, I see Celia standing there clutching the letter. "What is it Celia?" "I have to talk to you sit down." She marches me over to my bed and I reluctantly sit down. "You really don't know anything about your parents do you?" I shake my head and blink away the tears that have entered my eyes. "You're a witch." I look at her in shock "What the hell Celia, you don't have to call me names!" "No Valerie you are a witch that is why they sent you this letter, that's why you've always been different, that's why you've been able to move things without touching them, and why you've always explored every fireplace or phone booth you've ever come across, hoping that it's a door to somewhere else.

I sit there dumbstruck. I'm a witch? I could always do things that nobody could understand but everyone always laughed it off and said it was my imagination. Once when I went to the zoo I swear I heard the snakes whispering to me after that I begged Celia and Mark to get me a pet snake but of course the said no. I used to play on the seesaw by myself by pushing it up and down with just my eyes. The other kids at school called me 'playground freak' after that but I didn't care. I was special and I could do things others couldn't. I never thought that I could be a witch, Celia told me stories about witches when I was a kid. They were mostly about ugly, warty old women with green skin and pointy hats. Maybe those stories were wrong.  
Celia then starts to pull clothes out of my cupboard and shove them into a duffel bag. "What are you doing?" I ask. "Packing for you, your going to stay with a family friend for a few weeks before you go to Hogwarts" "Wait, I'm going? What about Mark?" "I'm going to tell him I decided to send you to the boarding school we had talked about." "Hang on. You were going to send me to boarding school?" Celia glares at me until I look down in defeat, I can't help giggling at the fact she got what she wanted after all. "He is going to be here in a few minutes, Mark will write to you to say goodbye but sweetie I'm afraid this is the last we'll see of you until the holidays." I pause. All my life I have wanted a ticket away from the family I thought I didn't really belong in, but now I have one I'm not sure this is what I really want after all. I hug Celia tightly, she stands there in shock for several seconds but then she starts to hug me back. I let the tears flow down my cheeks but wipe them away when Celia pulls away to answered the knock at the door. Quickly I shove a few extra things in the duffle bag Celia packed for me. Some books, my toy snake I got at the zoo and a picture of me, Mark and Celia when I was 7. When Celia calls me I pull on my trainers and run to the door only to see a man in his early 30's with messy hair and an unshaven face. Celia smiles, I realize this is the family friend she was talking about. "Hello." I swallow He grins at my obvious nervousness and said "Hello Miss Sorian. My name is Remus Lupin."/p


	2. Chapter 2

The walk is a long and silent one, day quickly turns to night and I completely forget that it is my birthday at all. We don't talk to one another though he offered to take my bag. When we finally stop at a bus shelter I ask him where we are going. "London." He replied, still sporting his smug grin. I shrug and bit my thumbnail like I always do when I'm nervous. Celia obviously trusts this man and therefore I do to. But there's something strange about the way he holds himself and the way he winces at the moon as though its hurting him. Remus Lupin, Celia and Mark never mentioned him before but somehow he looks very familiar. "What are you thinking about?" he asks me suddenly. "You." The word slips out of my mount before I can think of what to say. Remus chuckles "Really, well Miss Sorian I was wondering about you to." I raise my eyebrow "Really?" He nods and I can't help but smile, he's very charming for a stranger. "Are you a wizard?" I ask, it's all I have wanted to know since we started our journey. "Ah, yes and you are a witch." "Apparently so." Then suddenly a large blue bus comes barreling down the empty street at an alarming speed. The few people that are walking long the pavement don't seem to notice it. "What the hell is that?" I ask Remus. "That, Miss Sorian is our ride to London

"Welcome aboard the Night Bus!" The conductor said as he hands both Remus and me a ticket. Without a moments hesitation he slammed his foot on the accelerator and what looked like a severed head sat on the dashboard and cackled."Remus, what the hell is this place?" "This is the Night Bus, try to pay attention in the future." I scowl at him but only for a second until the bus lurches forward and I fall, smacking my head on the edge of a seat. "Crap! Are you ok?" Remus said, the sarcasm completely drained from his voice. "Yeah I'm fine." Remus helped me up and offered me something that he pulled out of his pocket "Chocolate, it will make you feel better." He said, his tone now deadly serious. I took some and ate it very quickly only then I had realized I hadn't eaten all day. We then walk upstairs and sit down on one of the rickety beds. "It's a long journey to London, you should try and get some sleep, Miss Sorian." I nod and climb up onto the top bunk. "Remus?" I say quietly "Yes, Miss Sorian?" "Please just call me Valerie." I can't see his face but I here him chuckle and I am almost certain he smiles at that.

"Miss Sor…. Valerie, wake up!" I open my eyes to see Remus trying to wake me up. When he sees that I'm awake he smiles at me. "Valerie we're in London." He pulls on his jacket and grabs my duffel bag. As I get up I notice my toy snake is lying next to me. Its golden eyes are gleaming and in the faint light it looks almost lifelike. Grabbing my toy snake I bolt down the Night Bus stairs after Remus. We get off the bus and step onto the pavement. "Wait, Remus." "Yes?" "Now that we are in London can you please explain to me what the hell is going on?" "Soon Valerie, I promise." I frown, I've never liked being unsure of things, I'm not going to lie it scares me a little bit. Thank god its not that long of a walk to where we are going. After about 10 minutes we reach an inn called the Leaky Cauldron. "How come no ones going inside?" I ask "Because they can't see it." Remus says bluntly Well this isn't weird at all. Entering a strange building with a strange man in a city you've never been to before. Well there's a first time for everything I guess.

Remus opens the door for me. Instantly the smell of old pumpkins and mead smack me in the face. Men in long black cloaks huddled round the tables drinking their drinks in uncomfortable silence. Remus goes up to a counter and begins talking to the employee in a hushed tone. I look around the room and notice a giant of a man sitting across from a scruffy kid who's about my age. When I look over at Remus I see that he appears to be glancing at the boy to. When Remus joins me I ask him "How do you know that boy?" He seems caught off guard when I ask him the question, by just asking that I learn 5 new things about Remus. 1. He smiles when he's nervous not good at being discrete try's to shake off a situation by offering you chocolate 4. He's a terrible liar 5. He defiantly knows that boy. "Valerie lets get going." He says grabbing my arm as he sees the giant and the boy walking towards us. Without saying a word I get up and follow Remus up the stairs to where our room is. I catch another glimpse of the boy before we leave the room; he's kind of cute in a nerdy way. It's a lot of stairs before we get up to the room, but when we finally do it looks a lot nicer than I expected. It has a massive four-poster bed, which Remus offers me but I decline because I know he has a bad back. There's a fireplace with a candle next to it and above it hangs a picture of a castle.

"Sit down Valerie, its time I explained what's happening." I don't give any wise remarks I just sit down and shut up. For once I want to hear what an adult is going to say. "Yes you are a witch, but your parents are not. They are what we in the Wizarding World call muggles. You're a very special girl. Not many witches can control their powers at such a young age." "I can't control it Remus." "Maybe not completely but they will teach you how." "What if I hurt someone? I've done in before." "Yes Valerie but not on purpose." "Well. Yes actually. I made a row of lockers fall on a boy who used to tease me." "Valerie, you can't use your ability to punish those who do you wrong or those who do not agree with you. It is what 'He Who Shall Not Be Named' did and look where it got him!" "Wait…Who?" "Ah I'm sorry Valerie, I forgot that this is all so new to. He Who Must Not Be Named is one of the most powerful dark wizards to ever exist. He took so many lives that even now that he is dead no one dares to say his name." Valerie shudders, the though of someone with all the power of a wizard to turn to evil. What havoc someone with all that power could cause. They could bring the world to its knees and watch it burn.  
"What did he do?" I asked Remus "He killed a lot of people Valerie." He replied, he looked down to hide the look of guilt on his face and I knew he was hiding something. "Who did he kill Remus?" "It doesn't matter Valerie now go get some rest." "Remus, don't lie to me!" "Valerie I don't think…" "Remus!" "Ok!" the drained look of defeat crept onto his face "He was the man who killed your parents Valerie."


	3. Chapter 3

I can't speak. I cant breath. I just sit there. I want to believe that Remus is joking, but I know he's not. I knew that I was adopted for a reason but I guess I didn't want to believe that my parents were dead. "Why?" I whispered, my voice completely gone. Remus shot me a confused glance. "Why did…he kill my parents?" "I don't know sweetie. I'm sorry I shouldn't have told you." "No Remus I had a right to know, and never call me sweetie again." He laughs at that, but I stay silent. After about ten minutes of not talking I blurt out the question that I've wanted to know all along. "Were my real parents magic? Were they like me, like us?" He shakes his head "I don't know Valerie." I suddenly feel frustrated. I can't take it. I have a past that I know nothing about. And on top of that I allowed myself to trust a man that I don't even know!"Then how do you know me?" I shout at Remus "If you weren't my parents friends or Celia and Marks friends then who the hell are you?" He gives me a look of pure shock "Valerie please, is quiet!" "NO!" I scream, "Shut up you little brat! Just shut up!" Remus screamed back at me. I sit dumbstruck. I don't even know how to respond to that so I don't. I jump of the bed and sit down on a plush couch in the corner. I don't look at Remus, But I here him exhale a long and strained sigh.

I don't remember when I fell asleep. All I remember is waking up to the silver full moon glaring at me through the window. I notice an old woolen blanket is covering me and my toy snake is lying next to me. Looking around the room I notice that Remus is nowhere to be seen. He hasn't left a note of anything. At first I'm glad because after what he said earlier I don't even want to look at him right now. But then I realise that I'm not actually all that angry. He was right, I was being a brat. After about half an hour of thinking and waiting for Remus I start to worry. What if he took off and left me? No. Remus wouldn't do that, he wouldn't leave me. I conclude that he must be outside so I pull on my trainers and go out to look for him. When I finally get outside I am met with a blast of cold air and swirling fog. The streets are desolate and the eerie lights of the street-lamps aluminate the pavements. Suddenly I here a crash an a figure dashes out from an nearby alleyway and into the fog. Its to animal like to be human, its hunched walk terrifies me as much as it excites me. I run after it, letting myself be consumed by the fog. I can hardly see anything but the figure is still lurking. I conclude that is must be a dog...or a tramp. "Hey!" I shout at it. It does not notice "Come here! don't be scared." Its head sharply turns in my direction I jump at its suddenness but I don't back down. It snarls and starts to edge towards me. Its defiantly some sort of animal. "Come on." I coax and the animal starts to dash towards me. I only get a glimpse of its face before it knocks me to the ground and the fog dissolves around me.

I wake up several hours later with my head throbbing and Remus sitting next to me. He's holding a warm cloth to my head. "Well look who's awake." He grins. "I thought you had left me." I smile at him but I can feel the tears welling up in my eyes. "Valerie, I will never leave you. I can promise you that." Now I know he can see the tears because they are tumbling down my cheek one by one. I try to sit up but I realise that it hurts to much so i sink back down. "What happened to me." I ask him because all I can remember is a terrifying face and then darkness. "They found you passed out outside of the leaky caldron. You must of hit your head because it was bleeding a lot. You gave me a real fright Valerie, Merlins beard what did you think you were doing!" I giggle at the obvious wizard slang Remus used, but that doesn't distract me from the fact that he's lying. "Im not sure Remus, i don't really remember much, except..." Remus snaps his full attention back to me "What Valerie, what is it?" I close my eyes and hold my snake close to my chest. "Nothing." I say but all I can think about is those eyes staring at me from the darkness.


End file.
